THE FLAXBOURNE ESTATE.

THE DECISION OF THE COURT. (ten United Truss Association.) BLENHEIM, April 19. The Compensation Court sat at, 9 o'clock this morning, and announced its decision in tho case Clifford v. Iho Minister of Lands, a claim of £335,000, in respect to the compulsory acquisition of Mm. Flaxbourne Estate. Tho Chief Justice said ho wis glad to lie able to announco tlmt tho court had come to a unanimous agreement. It assessed tho prico to he paid for the.land taken (approximately <5,600 acres) ill £172,175. In addition it assessed the lew caused by disturbance of business at. £7500, and the costs to bo paid by respondent to claimants at £2000. The total of these sums was £181,675. In accordance with an agreement between (he parties tlifl court, fixed the rato of interest to he paid nit from fllsl, March, 1903 (the dale of giving up possession), at 5 per cent, per annum until payment of the amount awarded., Tim jujlge llxed assessors' eosls at 10gs caeli per day (eight days' Bitting!) j' each iwrly lo pay his own assessor. The court I lien rose finally. {FKOU OUH OWN Coiuiksponbsnt.) WELLINGTON 1 . April 19. ' The Flaxbourne Estate, judgment in regard to which was given today, was taken over by the Government in 1903 by proclamation. Tho owners I lien put a valuo.of £410,000 on tho complete estate, and a Compensation Court, presided over by Mr Justice Cooper, sab in December to settle the dispute between the owners and the Government, lint the court failed to agi;ec on an award. Subsequently tho present case was instituted. A block of 11,688 acres has been reserved to I,lie'owners, tho Governinenl taking over the balance of 45,811 acres. For this area the owners claimed £520,000, plus- £15,000, subsequently increased to £20,000, for depreciation and loss in connection with the forced sale of stock. Tho Government offered £141,000, -urging that to give anything more would be to put a. special burden on the taxpayer, and would necessitate a, vote fi'om Parliament to balance the accounts. Thus it will lie seen that tho award just made is £40,000 more than the Government offered, but £159,000 lwlow the owners' claim. It lias been stated that at the previous hearing of tho case tho claimants, through their assessor, could not see their way to reduce the claim below £208,000.